Palladium Books® Weekly Update – May 31, 2012

By Kevin Siembieda

A big summer of hot releases from Palladium Books

That’s the goal. And we’ll be working our backsides off to make it a reality. I’m sure there will be some delays, but they should be short ones. I’m looking to release the following by Gen Con® – which starts August 16, 2012:

With a little luck, Rifts® Megaverse in Flames™ will follow hot on their heels. These titles are to be followed by sourcebooks for the Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Beyond the Supernatural™, Splicers® and Chaos Earth™ in the Fall, with more support for ALL game lines in 2013.

This week has been going very well as we work to clear our schedule so we can knock out one new release after another.

UPDATE: Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook

While I had done a little of this and that on the Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook, I have finally dived into it with both feet. From this point forward, I hope to spend most of my time writing one book after another. This has most of the material that was left out of Vampire Kingdoms: Reid’s Rangers, Doc Reid, Fort Reid, Camazotz, the Yucatan, Werebeasts, more on the Vampire Kingdoms, Vampire Hunter Slayers (vampire henchmen who hunt and destroy Vampire Hunters!), and other good stuff. All updated and expanded. FYI: Traveling shows appear in Rifts® Black Market.

UPDATE: Rifts® Black Market Sourcebook

I’ve started assigning the artwork for this book. It is packed with good stuff.

UPDATE: Northern Gun™ One

Chuck Walton has been working on the art for the two Northern Gun books for months. I’m told Robots should be finished by the weekend and I should be seeing the finished, tight pencils for the wraparound cover any day. I will be assigning the rest of the artwork for this book soon.

The Northern Gun™ One – Megaverse® Insider crowdsource funding offer starts next week on June 7 and runs til June 25, 2012. This is your chance to get your name listed in the book and acquire items made available exclusively for the Megaverse® Insider crowdsource funding offer. Items such as a PDF of the book, limited edition hardcovers and so on.

UPDATE: Northern Gun™ Two

Same story as above. Chuck has been working on the interior art, John Zeleznik has been busy working on the cover and I expect to see the tight pencils for it any day now. I also need to assign the rest of the artwork. FYI: Northern Gun™ Two – Megaverse® Insider crowdsource funding offer will take place in July, 2012. It will be structured very much like the Lemuria offer. Full details for both Insider offers have yet to be finalized.

UPDATE: The Rifter® #59 & Rifter® Submisisons

Wayne has begun selecting material for The Rifter® #59. Art assignments will follow. Out thanks to those of you who have submitted material for our consideration.

UPDATE: Robotech® The Genesis Pits™ Sourcebook

When I’m not working on Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook I’ll be working on Robotech® Genesis Pits. Art assignments should be going out this weekend.

UPDATE: Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames

No change on this title yet. I’ve gone over the manuscript, broken it down into sections, done a few bits and pieces of editing, and will be assigning art for it by the end of June. This book will knock your socks off.

UPDATE: I’m still calling Lemuria Benefactors & Ultimate Insiders

I was unable to call everyone I had hoped to call over the Memorial Day weekend, though I done leave messages for almost everyone. Most of you were out having Summer fun and enjoying what I hope was a gorgeous weekend with family and friends. I did speak with 6-8 people over the weekend and I have been enjoying my conversations with EVERYONE I’ve spoken to so far. I look forward to speaking with the rest of you by the end of the weekend. At least that’s the plan.

UPDATE: New PDFs now available on DriveThruRPG.com

The Rifter® #51 and #52 are now available on DriveThruRPG.com and we may be adding a few more items in the weeks to come. The Rifter® #49 and #50 were added just last week, and all issues #1-52 are currently available. We’re also continuing to move forward with plans for the PDF only editions of The Rifter® #0.1 and The Rifter® #0.2 – both are big, juicy digital editions of new, fan created material for the Palladium Megaverse® of games.

Don’t forget, DriveThruRPG.com also offers the Rifts® and Palladium Fantasy® Game Master Kits (both written by Carl Gleba and complete with maps, combat matrix, character sheets, spell list, and 20 pre-rolled characters created by Julius Rosenstein; $5 each), and FREE Sneak Previews of Endless Dead™, Rifts® Lemuria, Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms™, and Thundercloud Galaxy™, as well as 90+ back stock titles, including back issues of The Rifter®, and first edition rule books for Rifts®, Palladium Fantasy RPG®, Heroes Unlimited™, The Mechanoid Invasion® Trilogy, and lots of other good things. ALL available as PDF downloads at reasonable prices. And there is MORE to come.

UPDATE: Online Sales

I’m afraid the Memorial Day Weekend sent sales into a tailspin, making them the worst weekend sales of the year. Maybe the worst weekend ever. Yikes. We assume everyone was out enjoying a long weekend with family, or taking advantage of the million Memorial Day sales. The rest of the week, so far, has been better but very slow. Hey, slumps happen and we typically see a seasonal slump just before it picks up for the Summer. Don’t forget, we have all kinds of recent book releases, reprint titles, and new non-book products. I know gamers are hungry for new product and that is a good sign, especially since we have a lot of great new items coming your way.

UPDATE: Kevin’s Online Toy & Collectibles Store

Alex and I continue to add a bunch of Palladium collectibles as well as a large number of collectible toys and action figures to my online store. More will be added all weekend long as well as more new items every few days for the next several weeks. Right now they include proofreader copies of books, Palladium gold editions, some artwork, some art prints, and other good stuff. Most Palladium items are signed by me, Alex and other Palladium creators. We’ll keep them coming if you keep buying them. http://stores.ebay.com/kevinstoys-artandcollectibles

UPDATE: Gen Con® Indy – Booth 1125 – August 16-19, 2012

I’m not sure why, but I’m more excited about Gen Con Indy this year than I’ve been in a long time. It’s probably because of all the new releases we should have available by then.

This year’s lineup of Palladium troublemakers available to chat with you and sign books include: me (Kevin Siembieda), Wayne Smith, Matthew Clements, Charles Walton, Brandon Aten, Sarah Aten, Mark Oberle, and possibly a couple of others. We are looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones. If you are coming to Gen Con® Indy, make sure you stop by the Palladium Booth, #1125.

Enjoy Videos of Palladium Creators

Want to see what kind of goofballs we really are? Then check these out. ALL 24 of these video interviews are on YouTube and waiting for your enjoyment.

Carmen Bellaire and Wyll Johnson conducted short video interviews of Palladium artists, writers, staff and personalities at the Palladium Open House. They are fun and worth watching. Carmen hopes to post a few other Open House videos this weekend, including at least some part of my opening ceremonies. Each video is 8-10 minutes long and include chats with Amy L. Ashbaugh, Nick Bradshaw, Mike Mumah, Chuck Walton, Brian Manning, Allen Manning, Brandon Aten, Irvin Jackson, Mike Leonard, Mark Oberle, Wayne Smith, me and many others. Check ‘em out at youtube.com/user/Maloquinn – you can also read my 2012 Palladium Open House Report and see photos for more insight and info about the event.

REMINDER: The Palladium Website

We’ll be doing some routine maintenance, and making upgrades and changes behind the scenes over the next few weeks. That means it is a good time for you to offer suggestions on things you might like to see added, changed and improved on the website.

UPDATE: Northern Gun Megaverse® Insider starts June 7, 2012

I’m surprised at how many of you seem to be anxiously awaiting our Northern Gun crowdsource funding opportunity. To help fund and facilitate new Palladium products and growth, we will continue to offer new Megaverse® Insider crowdfunding opportunities. Such crowdfunding will be reserved for major releases like Northern Gun One and Two and new ventures into new markets and mediums. Money made above and beyond our projected goals for the specific project is applied to paying off debt, increasing promotion and advertising, and other new products.

The next Megaverse® Insider offers will be for the two Northern Gun Rifts® World Books – the first of which kicks off on June 7, 2012. More on it next week.

Palladium’s Megaverse® Insider offers, in effect, sell you an array of special items that are NOT generally available to the public. Product available only to Megaverse® Insiders and only for the limited 2-3 week period of that specific Megaverse® Insider offer. “Insider exclusive” products include your name listed in that book as one of the “Insiders” who made it possible, a very limited edition hardcover, a more limited edition, collector’s hardcover foil edition, a PDF version of the book, and special combination packages that may include limited edition prints, original artwork and a call from me, Kevin Siembieda, for a brief chat.

We try to make these special Megaverse® Insider products and opportunities special and worthwhile. This is not a charity, it’s the sale of unique items and opportunities that we hope have sentimental and financial value to you, as well as a means to help fund the production of the specific book/project. We hope that in a few years, those limited edition hardcovers, for example, are worth 2, 3 or 10 times what you paid for them. After all, they are printed to your exact orders plus a few dozen extra. (Both of the Rifts® Lemuria hardcovers were under 200 copies. That’s a limited press run!)

Have a nice weekend. I’m happy to report that I’ll be writing away all weekend, taking breaks only to call Benefactors and Ultimate Insiders from the last Insider crowdsource funding. Have a pleasant weekend and keep those imaginations burning bright.

– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher, Writer and Game Designer

NEW! Dead Reign™ Sourcebook 3: Endless Dead™ – Available now

Endless Dead™ is a new 96 page sourcebook that will send your Dead Reign™ campaign in new directions or add depth (and zombies). What are you waiting for? Order your copy today. And if you haven’t taken a look at the Dead Reign™ RPG yet, but love zombies, you need to give this dynamic game a try.

Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™

In final production right now. Unknown to most humans, deep within Mexico the vampires have established entire kingdoms. There they live like tyrants and gods, dominating an underclass of cattle people used as slaves and food stock. Learn more about the vampires, their rivals, allies and the humans who willingly serve their supernatural masters for a chance to join the undead. A must-have guide for those who wish to travel deeper into the Vampire Kingdoms or play as vampires and their human minions.

More human kingdoms within Mexico like the Tampico Military Protectorate and Durango, the Silver City.

Firefighting robots, hover firetrucks and more anti-vampire gear.

Magic based Vampire Hunters and human strongholds.

Techno-Wizard anti-vampire weapons and magical devices.

Profiles for Doc Reid and Reid’s Rangers, the world’s most famous Vampire Hunters.

Fort Reid, an entire city devoted to hunting the undead.

The Bloodwatch, a secret vampire intelligence agency that tracks down and exterminates Vampire Hunters.

The Yucatan Peninsula, a mysterious dimensional pocket overrun by strange demons known as Xibalbans.

The return of the Mayan god Camazotz, Lord of Bats and Darkness.

The werebeasts of Mexico and Central America; those who assist the vampires and those who fight against them.

Rifts® Black Market™ – A Rifts® Sourcebook

The Black Market is the most prevalent trader in weapons, magic items, drugs, and contraband outlawed by the Coalition. Explore the day to day business of the North American Black Market along with its smuggling routes, practices, policies and notable nefarious products and services. Learn about the five major Black Market factions in North America and foreign groups like the Yakuza, Green Scarf Sect and the Underground Railroads of Atlantis and the Vampire Kingdoms.

Rifts® World Book 33: Northern Gun™ One – New

Northern Gun™ is the largest independent manufacturer of high-tech weapons, robots and vehicles in North America. Outside of the Coalition States, one could argue, no other kingdom is as powerful or influential, at least when it comes to technology and weapons. The manufacture and sale of Northern Gun weapons and vehicles has given virtually every kingdom, town, colony of settlers and adventurer group a chance to survive and prosper. Located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, NG has been the premier outfitter of mercenaries, adventurers and upstart kingdoms for generations. Now, for the first time ever, learn Northern Gun’s history, goals and plans for the future. Of course, that means new weapons, robots, power armor, vehicles and gear.

In-depth look at Northern Gun: its business operations and its community.

Rifts® World Book 35: Megaverse® in Flames™

The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. Demons, Deevils and supernatural beings run rampant and wreak havoc across the world.

Demon plagues and mystic blights.

Soulmancy and Blood Magic revealed.

Magical and demonic weapons and war machines.

Demonic armies, strongholds and places of evil.

Hell Pits and Rune Forges.

Many Demon Lords, their minions and plans.

Calgary, the Kingdom of Monsters; in detail.

Ciudad de Diablo, Harpies’ Island and other notable Hell holes on Earth.

Lord Doom, Pain and other demonic leaders.

Horune treachery, Dimension Stormers and other villains.

Notable demonic generals, mercenaries, people and places.

Battleground: Earth – as demons and infernals amass their legions.

Global chaos and the places most dramatically affected by the Demon Plagues.

PDF downloads from DriveThruRPG.com

This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We’ve made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include.

Classic Rifts® Miniatures – Back in stock

The following favorite Rifts® miniatures are back in stock. Some, like the Glitter Boy, have sold on the collector’s market for as much as $50-$120. They are being re-released for the first time in a decade.

Approximately 25 mm in size.

Each figure is an unpainted, pewter miniature. Some assembly and cleaning may be required.

Sold as a single, individual figure in a plastic bag and comes with a black, 30 mm or 40 mm plastic base.

Prices vary according to size, but range from $6-20 retail.

Sorry, not currently available in stores. Available only from Palladium Books.